Sunset Cabin | Taylor Smyth Architects

The Sunset Cabin merges into the landscape of its shoreline setting on Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. Designed by Taylor Smyth Architects, it is a highly refined variant of the traditional cottage country “bunkie”, a tiny cabin used to provide additional sleeping quarters for the main cottage or cabin. At 275 ft2 (25.5 m2), this one is larger than most. There is room for a full-sized bed with storage drawers below, a couple of good-sized closets and a small sitting area around the wood stove. And, unlike most bunkies, the Sunset Cabin has its own bathroom consisting of a composting toilet and an outdoor shower with a view of the lake.

The cabin is wrapped on two sides with a screen of spaced cedar slats. From the inside looking out, it gives the feeling of being in a bird hide, a camouflaged shelter for viewing wildlife. The slats filter the incoming light and cast ever-changing shadows. The cedar screen gives way to large openings facing the lake, meeting the owners’ request that they be able to watch the sunset from bed.

The Sunset Cabin is fully insulated for year-round use. A living roof helps to conceal it from the main cottage up the hill. The birch plywood used for all the interior finishes and built-in furniture provides a clean, modern look at relatively low cost.